


An Anniversary Surprise

by AlwaysMyChoices



Category: The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: Anniversary, Cute, F/M, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:55:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23209636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlwaysMyChoices/pseuds/AlwaysMyChoices
Summary: On the eve of their first anniversary, Liam takes Collins into the city for a special surprise…
Relationships: Liam & Main Character (The Royal Romance), Liam (The Royal Romance)/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	An Anniversary Surprise

The sound of the clock filled the city streets, echoing each “ding” and “dong” until it culminated in one unified message of midnight. A full moon illuminated the Capital of Cordonia, every side street drenched in the romance of a European summer night. On one such street, a lovestruck couple wandered hand-in-hand along the cobblestones – a King and a Queen forging towards adventure.

“Liam, where are we going?” Collin’s voice was a whisper against her husband’s skin, her lips gently pressed to his cheek as he led her through his city.

“The point of a surprise is that you don’t know, Love,” Liam’s arm snaked around his wife’s waist. Close was never close enough, not with Collins. In the confines of their royal duty, Liam maintained a respectable space between he and his wife, but in the freedom of the Capital nights, he was just a man madly in love.

The soothing noises of the city formed a symphony for the young lovers. Music drifted down the city streets, disjointed but beautifully meshed together as people celebrated their night in their own respective corners of the Capital. Scents of morning pastries and late-night food and alcohol slipped wafted through the air on a distant ocean breeze. Excitement seeped into the energy of the city as all of Cordonia prepared to celebrate the anniversary of their King and Queen. Tourists had flown in for the occasion, and reporters flocked to the palace gates as they awaited the highly anticipated Festival of Unity. It was a celebration of Cordonian strength and love, and it honored the struggles and triumphs of Cordonia.

The last year had been one of devastation and growth for the small European state. A series of terrorist attacks threatened the stability of the peaceful nation, even taking the life of their former king, and the emotional and financial devastation was evident. King Liam and Queen Collins loved their country almost as much as they loved each other, and their wedding had revered the Cordonian people. Through their love and dedication, they watched as their home grow past their pain and celebrated each victory. It was only natural that their anniversary was as dedicated to their love of Cordonia as much as it was to their love of each other.

The festival was already triumphed as a success, despite the fact it hadn’t occurred yet. Every duchy would represent their people through food, art, music, and dance – forming the cultural tapestry of Cordonia. All Cordonians were encouraged to attend, and security was at its highest as it promised to protect all who called Cordonia home.

The night would end with a ball at the palace, formally celebrating the King and Queen’s first year of marriage. All of their friends were expected to attend, some of them having moved heaven and earth to be there. Featured guests included dignitaries and politicians, both domestic and international. Everyone that had supported Liam and Collins – and some who had not – were invited to ring in a year of their partnership, and it was destined to be an unforgettable evening.

But as the husband and wife wandered through their home city in the privacy of anonymity, it outshone any illustrious ball. Being together was a priceless luxury, and they valued every precious moment.

In their mysterious trek through the night, they passed several people – some full of the same wide-eyed, young love they saw in one another. Few looked past their own midnight adventures to see them, and even fewer recognized them. Those who did were understandably surprised to see their monarchs roaming the streets, and some even gawked at how truly in love the young couple was. None interrupted the couple, allowing them to enjoy their whispered sweet nothings and private affection.

Each door they passed had its own world behind it with people living their own lives, a kaleidoscope of dreams and reality. Several of them were open, spreading their contents to the world beyond. From one, sweet music drifted to Liam and Collins’ ears, and her expression perked up.

“Do you recognize this song?” her excitement was adorably overwhelming. Her emerald green eyes shone back at him, striking as they reflected the night sky back at him, and he could have spent the rest of his life staring deep into them.

“Should I?” Liam feigned ignorance, earning a swat on the arm as his wife drifted out of his embrace. She spun through the city, her red dress dancing around her, and her steps thumped against the cobblestones to the melody.

Collins held out her hand for Liam, issuing a silent invitation. He accepted without a second thought, pulling his wife into him and resting a hand against her waist. Their Cordonian Waltz was as flawless as it was effortless, and they moved with a sense of unity people spent their entire lives searching for.

i have found him

in the arms of my love, i’m flying

over mountain and meadow and glen

and i like it so well

that for all i can tell

i may never come down again

The faint tune brought them back to a year earlier when they dedicated their first marital dance to this song. Even without the words, the sentiments remained true, and they were amazed to find that it had only grown. This magnificent, world-altering love had taken on a life of its own. It was bigger than everything else – it was bigger than them. But it was born so innocuously, an event of fate. It was just a lingering glance, an awkward introduction, and a bold, reckless decision to give their doomed love a chance.

Back then, they were so young, so naïve.

Collins Alexander had been a waitress in New York City, spending her days in school and her nights working off her student loans. She was responsible and rational, and she had her life planned out. She never took risks, not really, but one night with Liam made her reckless. She dropped everything to follow a man she hardly knew, trusting her heart as it insisted that she’d spent the rest of her life in regret if she didn’t go. But once she arrived, it was clear that she never had a chance. She was a poor student with no title, no prestige, and not a drop of Cordonian blood. Love carried her and comforted her as she endured scandal and disgrace just to stand with the man she loved. Even then, the idea of a happy ending was still too far out of reach to consider it a realistic conclusion to her story.

And tonight, she was waltzing with the love of her life in the middle of the night on a street in a country she’d never even heard about.

Liam never understood how Collins Alexander had done it. It only took one night for him to fall deeply, madly in love with her, and he spent the rest of the social season trying to reason it away – or at least he told himself that’s what he was doing. It was irresponsible to allow her to stay, to give her hope when he could offer her no future. Long before the social season began, he resigned himself to a loveless, politically beneficial marriage. Before he met Collins, he’d traded his happiness and love for the stability of his country, and it was Collins who gave him the dangerous, life-changing idea that he could have both.

There were many nights where he considered setting her free. Watching her squirm and suffer under the bright lights of public attention made his heart ache, and not being able to support her as she was subjected to public humiliation and slander killed him. But something always stopped him from letting her go. It was selfish and bordered on cruelty, but now…

Their love story was born of pain, uncertainty, and risk. To neglect those elements would erase the very foundation of their marriage, but now, all of those devasted, sleepless nights were just a part of their history.

The tragic beauty of their young romance was now tinted through rose-colored glasses.

All that mattered was here, right now. It was the smile in Collin’s eyes. It was Liam’s protective touch on her skin. It was the intimate, coolness of a wedding band on their finger. It was them.

As the song drifted away, Collins and Liam began to sway to the gentle roar of the city. Collins’ head was on his shoulder, her dark curl cascading around them and filling the air with the recognizable scent of her shampoo. Their touch was so familiar it had become home.

“I love you, Liam,” Collins’ soft whisper went only to his ears, a private declaration that no amount of decorum or public attention could take away.

“I love you more every day,” Liam’s truth was palpable, and she fell into the rhythm of his heartbeat in his chest.

“You’re the best decision I’ve ever made,” Collins’ voice was raw, and it struck Liam. His world stood still as the sincerity of her affection weighed on him.

Liam pressed his forehead to hers, having to bend over to reach her eyes at such a close distant. His senses were overwhelmed with her – her smell, her sight, her touch. She beamed under the moonlight, a star in her own right. She moved through his life like a rainstorm, overshadowing the plain day with fervor and unpredictability. At first, it seemed as though her presence had destroyed everything. She decimated his previous commitment to a loveless marriage, but when the storm passed, the rain had enriched the soil and supported growth like never before.

“I pick you, even when you’re not an option,” Liam’s whisper tickled Collins’ lips, and she welcomed his kiss. The familiarity of his taste offered warm, sweet comfort, but passion and devotion lingered beneath their gentle kiss.

They didn’t love each other as much as they did when they got married. They loved each other more.

Liam’s hands found hers, lacing his fingers through hers, and he felt her wedding band against his skin. The Cordonian treasury boosted extravagant jewels, gold, and priceless artifacts, but he would trade it all for the thin band of gold around his wife’s finger.

“No more distractions,” Liam cracked a smile, pulling away but never letting go of her hands. He stepped backwards, pulling Collins with him. Her steps were hesitant as if she didn’t want to leave their tender moment, but Liam persisted.

Collins reluctantly obliged, leaving the bar with the music behind them. Collins liked to think that she knew the city well through her public and private outings, but as they dipped down several side streets, Collins witnessed sights she’d never seen before. It was if the Capital had harbored little worlds within itself, the number of which was infinite. Trying to find them all was like navigating every star in the sky.

Collins was so busy taking in the foreign scenery that she didn’t notice when Liam suddenly stopped, and she nearly ran full-force into her husband. Catching herself, she stumbled a bit and looked around in confusion. Had something happened?

Liam reached into his suit coat, pulling out a piece of silk.

“What is that?” Collins narrowed her eyes as if that would help her figure out what she was looking at.

“A blindfold.”

Collins cocked an eyebrow, insinuating her assumptions without a word, “Kinky.”

“It’s not like that. Now, close your eyes,” Liam commanded, stepping behind her with the silk in hand. Had bossy Liam not been so sexy, Collins may have protested, but instead, she melted into the warmth of her husband as he tied the blindfold around her eyes.

“The Kinky King has returned,” Collins’ fanned herself for dramatic effect, and she didn’t need to see to know that her husband was blushing.

Arm-in-arm, Liam and Collins walked the last block to his surprise. Anticipation was killing Collins, and she could hardly wait to take off the blindfold. This morning, Liam told his wife to clear her schedule for the night for a “surprise.” Collins, still working on the final details of the upcoming festivities, assumed that this meant a private night for the couple in their apartment. In the last few months, Liam had surprised his wife with a romantic, home-cooked meals several times, and tonight, he went all out. With a little help from the kitchen staff, Liam cooked his wife a four-course meal that ended with his treasured baklava. They toasted to a wonderful year together, sipping from the same bottle of wine they’d served at their wedding. It was a lovely ending, and after dinner, Collins was ready to demonstrate her appreciation in bed when Liam surprised her by telling her to put on shoes and prepare for an adventure.

After sneaking out of the castle (with security at a respectable distance), Collins tried to solve the mystery several times, but she continued to fall short. Where could he be taking her?

Suddenly, Liam stopped her at a storefront. Collins could see hints of light beyond her blindfold, but she was clueless as to where they were or why they stopped.

“We’re here…” Liam’s fingers went to work at untying the blindfold, and he watched Collins practically buzz with excitement.

The sea breeze caressed Collins as she tried to identify every clue she could before the reveal. Did she smell something sweet? Or was that the salt in the air?

“One, two, three!”

On “three,” Liam removed the blindfold and presented his wife with his surprise, and suddenly, Collins knew exactly where she was. How could she forget?

“Oh my God,” Collins gasped, her hand instinctively going over her heart as she processed where she was.

Cordonian Café – Home to the Cronut! sprawled across the awning of the quaint café. Patrons had long gone home, leaving the cozy café for the young couple. Several pastries were still laid out, their smell permeating the air and making her stomach growl. In the window, there was a display of cronuts forming a heart. The pastries were fresh enough that Collins could see the steam rise. They’d made the cronuts just for them…

This café took Collins back to a day that felt like a lifetime ago. She’d just met Liam and spent the entire derby trying to earn the Queen’s favor. Her friendship with Hana, Maxwell, and Drake was still in its infancy, and they had all sneaked out of the palace to try cronuts. It was the first of many group adventures. That night, Collins stayed close to Liam, and it was one of many private moments that gave her hope to stay in the competition and fight for him.

Collins turned back to her husband, a tear sliding down her cheek as she whispered, “You remembered.”

“How could I forget?” Liam wiped the tear from her cheek, “I already loved you then.”

“I loved you, too,” Collins ran her fingers through his curly blonde hair, losing herself in his ocean blue eyes, “Thank you, Liam.”

“I hope I didn’t overstate the surprise,” Liam had a sheepish grin, worried that his attempt at a grand gesture missed the mark.

Collins shook her head vigorously, laughing through her tears of joy, “No, it’s perfect, Liam.”

Liam’s smile returned, proud of himself for making his wife so happy, and Collins took a deep breath, sobered by the way she loved this man.

“You’ve given me the best year of my life,” Collins was earnest, and the weight to her words was not lost on Liam. There were a million little moments in that sentence – days of laughter, mornings of hurried good morning kisses and shared coffee, and nights of sweet nothings and pillow talk. There were even more “I love you”s, some said out loud and some not.

This is what it’s like to love someone, Collins thought to herself. She built a life with the man she loved, and even on the darkest of days, it was perfect.

“Best year so far,” Liam insisted, “I have a lifetime of years to make each one better than the last.”

Collins lips brushed across Liam’s, and he caught her affection in his kiss, so soft and gentle that the world almost stopped moving. It was tender and real. It was love.

The cronuts were, of course, delicious. Inside, Collins found their initials etched into the pastries behind the glass, and their plate of cronuts was supported by a bottle of wine. Together, they stayed late into the evening, long after the cronuts had disappeared and the surprise settled. They stayed at the Cordonian Café until they were too exhausted to stay any longer, and after locking up, they moved into a comfortable embrace for their return to the castle.

When the sun rose, they would be King Liam and Queen Collins. Their love story would be publicly celebrated, and all of Cordonia would crowd around to support their monarchs and their homeland.

But tonight, it was just Liam and Collins, and they were in love.

“Thank you for an incredible anniversary,” Collins hummed thoughtfully, “But I hope you know I’ll outdo you next year.”

Liam laughed at the challenge and met her eyes as he stated, “You’re on.”


End file.
